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Note: Address: 210 Marmot Crescent Banff, Alberta, T0L 0CO, Canada Bill Waterworth; 210 Marmot Crescent; Banff, Alberta, T0L 0CO, Canada PHON: +1 403-762-2170 Cousin -related through Pounder's Visited Bolton after release from PoW camp Visited Bolton on leave during WWII
Also 2001 Award Winners For Public Service Initiatives th at enhance public understanding and appreciation of heritage including volunt eer involvement and commitment to heritage activities that enrich community life in Banff. Wendy Bush: For organizing the 5th Annual Western Canada Mai lstage event. This event transports letters by bicycle, train, antique car an d saddle horse and carriage. Each stage in the journey recalls a different er a of our diverse Western Canada Heritage. Bill Waterworth, Rob Crosbie, the late Henry Ness: For involvement in the "Living Legacy" program. This program was designed to obtain human history on previous owners and occupants of a select group of historical homes and buildings in Banff. There are also relatives in Santa Barbara and Vancouver
Cooper family visited Banff around 1970. Bill Waterworth's mother had just died.
Banff Mountainview Cemetery Index, 1982 Waterworth, Olive A. 1882-1972 Waterworth, George F. 1886-1960 He owned a lot of motels
Banff Cemetery Index, 1992 Pounder, Sarah - 1909 (this is Sarah Jane Brown, spouse of Mark Hammond Pounder)
Royal Canadian Air Force PLAC PoW in Germany during WWII -------------------------------------
Waterworth recalls war years Banffite's memory focuses more on the bright spots of war life 60 years ago By Dave Husdal Banff Crag & Canyon staff Tuesday November 09, 2004 Banff veteran Bill Waterworth holds a war stories book that includes a story written by a fellow resident of Stalag 344 who he knew well. Dave Husdal/The Banff Crag & Canyon Banff Crag & Canyon - Bill Waterworth knows a lot about remembrance.
The Banff veteran, like many of his colleagues, marks Remembrance Day by taking part in ceremonies and meeting and greeting those who shared military service fighting for their country.
He'll look back on what it was like 60 years ago in a prisoner of war camp near the German-Polish border, but he won't dwell on the tough times and bad moments. Instead, he'll likely remember the good times and the unique war humour, much the same way he does and he sits in a comfortable chair in the living room of his Marmot Crescent home in Banff.
Waterworth, a born and raised Banffite, says patriotism probably played a part in his decision to enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force back in 1941, but it wasn't what landed him in military service -- and eventually in the wireless air gunner's spot in an antiquated, slow Wellington bomber flying over a landscape littered with anti-aircraft batteries.
"When I joined up I don't think I was thinking as much of the patriotism as I was the excitement," a friendly Waterworth confides from across his comfortable living room.
He then jokes -- or says with a chuckle -- that he'd desert if he faced the same situation as a young man today.
Overall, he says of his war experience, "I can't say I enjoyed it. I can only remember the good parts."
The good parts included fun in England before he was eventually captured by the Germans after his plane was shot down on Sept. 19, 1942 over occupied France.
Waterworth floated down to the ground and then faced a struggle to try to stay alive and fed without being captured.
"That was the scariest part of the whole thing," he explains -- being in an occupied country where you don't speak the language.
He ate apples he found in the orchards of French farms, and even put to use skills learned from Banff's Moffats on their dairy farm -- he milked a cow for some quick nourishment.
"Warm milk, oh was it good when you're really hungry," Waterworth quietly chuckles.
He was eventually captured, on Oct. 4, 1942, and got to do a little sightseeing in Paris with his friendly captors before being shipped off to Stalag 344, where he would spend most of the next three years before being marched out of camp and away from advancing troops -- first the Russians, then the Americans. Waterworth and two buddies escaped the excruciating marching after three months of sleeping on the cold ground covered only by the blankets they carried.
"I was liberated by General Patton's Army," Waterworth recalls. The day was April 14, 1945, and Waterworth -- who doesn't consider himself a fighting man -- was down to about 100 pounds.
While prison camp life wasn't easy, Waterworth says it was often what you made of it.
That was the case prior to his capture as well. He still recalls the black humour of the men who flew on the Wellingtons. They'd make sure they went for breakfast before heading out on nighttime bombing raids, he says, "Because we knew that half of us wouldn't be back for breakfast in the morning."
But the Wellington Waterworth helped to keep in the air did return from many journeys before it was shot down. He remembers what it was like flying at night amongst the tracer shells fired by anti-aircraft guns below.
"Everyone that came your way, you'd swear it was going to hit you right here," he says, pointing with his right hand to a point right between his eyes.
Even still, he defers to the Army when it comes to talk of tough times.
"We weren't fighting men. We had a good time," he remembers. "The guys landing on that beach (on D-Day) it must have been absolutely hell."
Waterworth went over to Banff's high school in October to talk to students about his service in the war. They were interested in what it was like, but found it a little hard to relate to," he says.
For his part, he can see in today's teenagers what he saw in himself back 63 years ago.
"We were no different than the kids are now, except we were in uniform," Waterworth offers.
Like many Canadians, Waterworth isn't pleased to see American troops in a war in Iraq.
"I don't agree with the present day wars," he offers.
"I know they're living wrong (in countries such as Iraq), but that's their problem, not ours."
He says he'd rather see more money spent defending North America.
When the Second World War ended, Waterworth -- H20worth in his nickname days, headed back to Banff.
He eventually married Bernie, and they were together until she passed away last year.
They enjoyed Banff immensely, and Waterworth still considers his hometown as the best place to live -- whether he's hearing the trains whistle past his place or heading to a meeting of Rotarians for his 40th consecutive year.
"It's been a good town to live in. I wouldn't want to live any place else," he says, confiding there were certainly times during the war that he wondered if he'd ever get back to Banff.
He remembers a visit from the Red Cross that confirmed for his worried mom that he was still alive. He also remembers compassion and camaraderie of sorts with a German guard who faced a much tougher scenario than many of the Canadians he was guarding -- the guard couldn't leave Stalag 344 to go home and bury his family when they died after their house was leveled by Allied bombs.
The guard was understandably miserable to the fearful Canadians for a couple of days after losing his family, but not for long, says Waterworth.
"He said 'gentleman, I wish to apologize,'" before explaining how he couldn't go home.
The guard, a POW of the British from World War I, was a good man, Waterworth says.
"He was just like anybody else," he adds.
And no doubt one of millions from around the world to be remembered this Remembrance Day. ---------------------- OH CANADA Posted By Special to the Crag & Canyon from Eddie Hunter Posted 4 months ago Special to the Crag & Canyon from Eddie Hunter The Crag & Canyon asked Eddie Hunter, who faithfully reports on Banff's golf season happenings, to talk to the veterans at the Banff Legion and trade stories with his peers. He gave us this revealing account from an astonishing number of nonagenarians from the Second World War. It is remarkable for both its remembrances and for the self-evident salubrious effects of Banff living. We are grateful both to Mr. Hunter and his sources. Ed. "We stand on guard for thee." These are words we sing in our national anthem, but how many Canadians have actually stood on guard for Canada? How many had lost their lives at the end of that stand? On the cenotaph in front of the Banff Royal Canadian Legion, the numbers of dead seem excessive for such a small town; especially those who gave their lives in the First World War (1914-1918). There are more than fifty names, almost twice the number for the war of 1939-1945. It is on record that Banff had one of the highest percentage enlistments of any place in Canada for both wars. If you step inside the Legion, you could see Bill Waterworth. Bill was born in Banff in Mrs. Thomson's Nursing Home in 1922. Following high school, Bill joined the air force and left Canada on New Years day, 1942. He was 19 years old. Bill was shot down in September of the same year and taken prisoner for close to three years. Putting this into perspective; think of the young high school students presently going to school in Banff. Now think of him/her leaving school and going to a war zone where they could lose their life in less time that it takes them to turn a computer on or buckle a ski boot. That was almost the case for Waterworth. In going through a Crag & Canyon for 1941, I saw an article in which he was written up with his classmates for performing a high school play. A few months later he had signed up to go to war. At about the same time, he ran into a family friend, Karl Okander, who was in the air force. Karl tried to discourage his young friend, thinking he was too young. He even arranged for Bill to take a flight in hopes airsickness would change his mind, but it didn't. With what must have seemed like a whirlwind training period, he found himself a wireless gunner flying in a slow outdated Wellington bomber. It was their duty to drop flares lighting up the target area for the Lancaster bombers that would follow. Now, over sixty-five years later, Waterworth can smile when he thinks how they had to leave early on the mission so the Lancasters wouldn't pass them in the main attack. The day they were shot down, Waterworth was the only one with a minor ankle injury. He was to be a prisoner for almost three years. During that time a guard hit him in the head with the butt of his rifle. From that blow, he lost the sight in one eye. That particular guard went wild whenever the news revealed an Allied offensive, especially if there were Canadians involved, like the Dieppe raid. As the end of the war drew near, Waterworth and the prisoners were put on a death march. A continuous mid winter trek with sparse clothing and food (mostly turnips and potatoes taken from gardens en route). That horrible experience ended with Waterworth and a couple of buddies slipping away from a snowy field they had slept in. They hid in a group of trees as the main body of prisoners left in the morning. Within days they came across American troops along with a New York Times reporter. The reporter had Hershey chocolate bars and cigarettes. Waterworth was sent to an English hospital on April12, 1945. He was 22 years old and weighed just 98 pounds. --------------------------- was born in Banff on March 19, 1922 to Fred and Olive Waterworth. Dad spent his life in Banff in the mountains that he so dearly loved. Dad enlisted in the RCAF in 1940 to serve his country. He trained in England and flew in 33 missions before being shot down over France, spending 3 years as a prisoner of war in a Stalag camp. He survived The Forced March before finally coming home. When he returned to Banff he met and married the love of his life Bernice Wilson, together they raised three daughters Lynn (Fred. Pratt of Ottawa, Bunty (Richard) Allan of Creston, BC, Christie Wilson (Jack Potman) of Banff. Dad loved fishing and spent many hours at Marble Canyon and many other mountain lakes and streams, never missing to hook a few. As a young fellow Dad played hockey in town, whether at the arena, on lakes, rivers and street hockey by his home on Rabbit Street. Dad also loved golf and was an honorary member at the Banff Springs Golf Club. For many years he hosted Thursday Rotary golf and many tournaments. Dad was an active volunteer for many groups in Banff and served on the Chamber of Commerce, The Rotary Club and was a 65 year veteran member of the Legion. Dad is survived by his sister Marjorie Goodman of Vancouver, sadly missed by his 5 grandchildren; Marnie (Aaron) Sands, Stephen (Christina), Gillian & Warren Pratt and Kimberley Grams and 1 great grandson, Seth Sands and nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife Bern (Wilson), his sister Florence White, his grandson Sean Frackleton. A Memorial service was held on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009. In lieu of flowers, donations accepted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta # 200 - 119 14 Street NW., Calgary, Alberta T2N 1Z6.
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